Loose leaf binder



Dec. 17, 1935. A. G. LOTTER 2,024,461

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed April 22, 1955 type loose leaf binders in mind, this invention Patented Dec. 17, 1935 oose LEAF BINDER Adolph G. Lotter, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Stationers Loose Leaf Company, Milwaukee,

Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin AppiicationApril 22,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and refers more particularly to loose leaf binders o the ring type.

r In loose leaf binders of this type, the rings comprise substantially semi-circular separable sections or impaling prongs. In some forms of this type of binder, the impaling prongs or ring sections are carried by plate members which have a toggle action to effect opening and closing of the rings, and in other constructions, such as shown in Patent No. 1,758,327 issued to Adolph G. Lotter May 13, 1930, the impaling prongs are carried by laterally separable plate members slidable across the back of the binder, It is to this latter form of ring binder that the present invention is specifically directed.

V In both of the earlier forms of ring binders, especially in the more common size designed to hold standard letter sized sheets, one serious disadvantage has always been the fact that the ring sections or impaling prongs did not open very wide. As a consequence, it was always difficult to insert sheets or to remove sheets from the binder.

With the objection to past and existing ring has as an object to provide a construction wherein the distance between the ring sections or impaling prongs upon opening of the binder is materially increased without in anywise complicating the design or" the binder.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide novel and improved means for mounting the separable ring sections or impaling prongs so that during opening of the binder a composite rolling and sliding motion is imparted to the ring sections which results in a wider opening between the ring sections.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise em- .bodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the 1935, Serial no. 17,555

Figure 2 is a plan view showing a portion of the inside of the binder, parts thereof being broken away and in section; and

Figure 3 is a crosssection view taken through Figure-2 on the plane'oi the line 3-3. 5

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 represents generally the ring carrying mechanism of the binder to which covers 6 10 and l are-attached. The covers, asis customary in this general form of binder, are usually flexible "or semi-flexible and are composed of one continuous piece of material, the medial portion of which provides a back 8 for the binder. 15 The: ring: carrying mechanism 5i is attached to the back 8, and if desired the manner of attachment shown in Patent No. 2,000,184, issued May 7, 1935 to Adolph G. Lotter, may be employed.

As shown in detail, the back 8 of the binder 20 incorporates a substantially channel shaped back plate 9 to which the covers 8 and i are attached. The ring carrying mechanism 5 is also attached to the plate 9 by means of three rivets Ill secured to plates 9 and H, respectively.

The ring carrying mechanism '5 comprises a base plate H of inverted channel shape in cross section having flanges i2 at its marginal edges received within the flanges of the back plate 9 and having its ends bent up and over to provide overhanging flanges l3 and M. The flanges l3 and I4 are spaced from the outer surface of the base plate and are parallel thereto to provide guideways for maintaining two ring carrying bars or plates [5 transversely slidably assembled with the base plate.

The flange I4. has its medial portion cut out and extended at substantially right angles to the base plate to provide a grip It for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The plates [5 carry semicircular ring sections or impaling prongs I! which are engaged to form closed retaining rings when the plates 15' are close together; The plates I5 are slid transversely towards and from each other across the 45 base plate II by means of a longitudinally shiftable bar or plate l8 slidable longitudinally against the under face of the channel shaped base plate. 7

The shifter bar or plate is is guided for longitudinal sliding'movement by having its side edges engaging the flanges i2 011 the base plate, and to facilitate longitudinal shifting thereof, its end adjacent the overhanging flange i3 is extended and has a finger engaging portion or grip I9 projected upwardly therefrom. By grasping the upstanding grips l6 and I9 longitudinal shifting of the bar I8 may be easily eifected.

The longitudinal motion of the bar or plate I8 is translated into a transverse or sidewise movement on the part of the ring carrying plates I5 by cam slots 20 formed in the shifter plate l8 and engaging rivets or studs 2| fixed to the plates [5 and extending through transverse slots 22 in the base plate H. To accommodate the rivets ID, the longitudinally shiftable plate I8 has openings 23, one of which forms a continuation of the cam slots 20 forming therewith a substantially Y-shaped opening.

The construction so far described is more or less conventional. The present invention improves this construction by curving the base plate H and. also the ring carrying plates 15 and the longitudinally shiftable plate l8, as best shown in Figure 3.

By this curvature the space between the ends of the impaling prongs when the binder is open is materially increased. This is so by reason of the fact that in the opening movement the ring carrying plates IE not only move sidewise away from each other, but also slide down over the curved. surface of the base plate and inasmuch as the ends of the impaling prongs travel in an are having a longer radius, it follows that the distance the ends of the prongs travel during the opening of the binder is greater than that of the carrying plates l5.

Hence, by the simple expedient of making the base plate of the ring carrying mechanism convex, a very desirable advantage over past constructions is obtained. This construction is particularly advantageous in that it does not entail any alteration or modification in the design of the ring carrying mechanism or the means for opening and closing the rings.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a loose leaf binder of the small ring type.

including separable ring sections, means mounting said ring sections for movement toward and away from each other in a curvilinear path so disposed that the outer portions of the ring sections move a greater distance than the inner portions thereof, the center of the curvature of the sections being above the plane of the mounting means.

2. In a ring type loose leaf binder, the combination of separable ring sections, ring carriers transversely separable to carry the ring sections from a closed position with their outer ends engaging to an open position with their outer ends spaced apart, a base plate having a convex surface, means mounting said ring carriers for transverse movement over the convex surface of the base plate so that upon separation to open the rings the outer ends of the ring sections travel a greater'distance than the inner portions thereof which are attached to the ring carriers so as to afford a wide space between the outer ends of the ring sections, the center of curvature of the ring sections being above the plane of the mounting means and means shiftable longitudinally of the base and connected with said ring carriers for simultaneously sliding said ring carriers transversely across the convex surface of the base plate.-

ADOLPH G. LOTTER. 

